Coleslaw is Summer's Salad

Summer without coleslaw is like ... well, like a summer without barbecues. Coleslaw, in its endless varieties from sweet and creamy to vinegary and pungent, is America's classic sidekick to barbecued and outdoor meals. Cabbage salad (koolsla in Dutch) seems to have been around for centuries, but it wasn't until the invention of mayonnaise in the early 1900s that coleslaw became a popular partner to burgers, hot dogs, fish and chips, summer meals, and in some regions, a topping for sandwiches.

There are as many variations to coleslaw as there are cooks. You might say that the only common ingredient is cabbage, because additional ingredients run the gamut from carrots and red cabbage to onions, sweet peppers, jicama, broccoli stalks, pineapple, bacon, bleu cheese, apples, raisins, peanuts and even toasted ramen noodles. Some folks might say that if it's not made with a mayonnaise dressing it's not coleslaw, but others are adamant that traditional coleslaw is made with a vinegar-based dressing. Dressings can also include lemon juice, buttermilk, sour cream, sugar, mustard and a variety of seasonings. Coleslaw recipes also vary in how to cut the cabbage - some call for thin shreds and others thick, some insist that hand-chopping is the only way to go while others recommend using a food processor.

Unless you are committed to always and forever using only your mom's coleslaw recipe, do an online search for coleslaw and you'll find enough variety to match every entree, season, event and mood.

Washington Wine Month
Washington State has the ideal soils, extensive sunlight and hot days with cool nights to produce some of the best wines in the world. Although a relatively young wine industry, our state is the second largest wine producer in the US and is ranked among the world's top wine regions. More than 30,000 acres of vineyards produce grapes of consistent quality, resulting in strong vintages of Chardonnay, Riesling, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and more every year.

Each August, wineries and retailers participate in Washington Wine Month, a campaign created by the Washington Wine Commission. This is our chance to highlight the incredible wines produced here in our home state. Washington is most famous for world-class red wines, but is also home to award-winning whites.

Columbia Crest H3 Chardonnay
As an example of Washington's spectacular wines, we invite you to try the medium-bodied 2006 H3 Chardonnay. Perfectly balanced, it delivers aromas of tropical pineapple and pear, flavors of tart apples and caramelized sugar, with a seductive coconut-vanilla finish. This vintage recently received a 91-point score in Wine Spectator.

Washington State's famed Horse Heaven Hills (thus the H3 in the wine's name) has been home to the Columbia Crest Winery for more than 20 years. Their winemaker blends innovation and tradition to capture this unique basalt and bedrock terroir, creating wines that highlight the intensity of these grapes.

No Watery Coleslaw

To Peel a Peach
Dip whole peaches into boiling water for 10 to 15 seconds, then immediately plunge into cold water. The skin can then be easily peeled off.

Mayonnaise Magic!
Anyone can make homemade mayo in minutes. And here's a little tip that makes it much easier! Most food processors have this feature specifically for making mayonnaise. You know the food pusher that fits into the chute? On most models, it has a little hole at the bottom. Put the oil into this food pusher and it will drizzle in slowly while blending for perfect, easy emulsification!

The cheese that was part of a food revolution
French for "goat," chevre (SHEHV-ruh) is a pure white goat's milk cheese with a distinctively sharp flavor. We'll have Laura Chenel Chevre at a great price Aug. 13-26, in our Deli. Choose from plain, herb, pepper or dill varieties, and enjoy!

Goat cheese is well-loved in an array of recipes and dishes, including omelets, salads, ravioli, souffles, pizza, sandwiches, dips and appetizers. But before Laura Chenel began making goat cheese, or chevre, in the early 80s, few Americans had ever heard of it. Chevre had never been made commercially in the US and imported chevre was rare and expensive.

Laura Chenel, a born foodie, was raising goats in the 70s and found that she had more goat milk than she knew what to do with. So in 1979 she traveled to France to study the art of goat cheese production. When she returned to her farm she started making cheese using methods she had learned from the French artisans combined with some ideas of her own. A couple years later she shared her cheese with Alice Waters, owner of Chez Panisse and the mother of America's culinary revolution. Alice immediately put in a standing order for 50 pounds a week. Twenty years later, Laura was selling 2 million pounds of cheese a year and goat cheese had become a well-known and favored food.

In 2006, Laura sold her company to The Rians Group, a French artisan cheese corporation that continues to make her cheese at the same California location, with the same employees, and with the same dedication to quality and tradition. Laura still owns and tends to her 500 goats, all of whom she has personally named and breeds very selectively to produce the finest milk for Laura Chenel Chevre.

Washington Harvest Season
Crops of fruits and vegetables are ripening and maturing all over Washington, and bushels and crates of the harvests are on the way to our Produce Market. During August and September we are excited to offer you a bounty of fresh foods from nearby farms.

Sterino Farms in Fife brings us delicious, crisp green beans, colorful peppers, lush lettuce, cucumbers, cabbage, cauliflower, and sweet, juicy corn. Coming in from other farms around the state will be chili and sweet peppers, heirloom tomatoes, seedless watermelons, peaches, potatoes, cantaloupe, Hermiston sweet onions, nectarines, Bartlett pears and Gala apples. Look for these Washington-grown foods and others through the rest of summer, and taste how good it is to support our state's farmers.

Marvelous Mangoes
The "king of fruit" - otherwise known as mango - is enjoyed all over the world; more, in fact, than any other fruit. Mangoes are an excellent source of vitamins A and C, potassium and beta carotene. An average size mango can contain up to 40% of your daily fiber requirements. Beyond tasting great, mangoes contain a stomach soothing enzyme, similar to papain in papayas, that actually helps you to feel well. Mangoes can be found fresh and juicy in our Produce Market or dried and sweet in Bulk Foods.

Delicious Desserts from Dancing Deer
Our Bakery is now offering a delicious new dessert from the Dancing Deer Baking Company. Indulge with four new varieties of dessert ring cakes - Chocolate Espresso, Lemon Raspberry Ricotta, Strawberry Shortcake and Blueberry Pecan. Products from Dancing Deer are all natural and baked from scratch with pure, high-quality ingredients.

Another great dessert option is our Cake of the Month. Throughout August, we feature our Peaches and Cream cake. This cake will delight you with peach mouse filling in a white cake, iced in vanilla whipped cream and a white chocolate truffle. Choose a single- or double-layer cake at a special price.

August Happenings at the Market

Aug 1 : Friday Nights at the Market
Music 6-8:30 pm: BD and the Rockits (Classic Rock/Pop). Dinner served 5:30-8 pm: Beef Brisket Sandwich with Coleslaw and Tim's Chips. All meals are $6 or $7 and include sides and a beverage. view schedule

Aug 6 - 12 : Melon Mania
We're sharing samples of sweet and juicy favorites and unique varieties of summer melons.

Aug 6 - 12 : Plum Crazy
We're featuring so many varieties of plums and pluots, you'll think we're crazy!

Aug 8 : Friday Nights at the Market
Music 6-8:30 pm: Quichua Mashis (Andean Folk). Dinner served 5:30-8 pm: Argentine Steak with Chimichurri Sauce, Herb Roasted Potatoes and Corn on the Cob. All meals are $6 or $7 and include sides and a beverage. view schedule

Aug 13 - 31 : Brew Fest
Celebrating craft-brewed beers with special prices, visits from brewers and cooking demonstrations using beer.

Aug 15 : Friday Nights at the Market
Music 6-8:30 pm: Family Jewels (Upbeat Acoustic). Dinner served 5:30-8 pm: Grilled Split Chicken with Potato Salad and Fresh Fruit. All meals are $6 or $7 and include sides and a beverage. view schedule

Aug 16 : Celebrate Shoreline!
We'll be cooking delicious food and selling fresh fruit in our tents at Ridgecrest Elementary School, 11 am-5 pm.

Aug 22 : Friday Nights at the Market
Music 6-8:30 pm: Roy Kay Trio (Rockabilly). Dinner served 5:30-8 pm: Cheese Burgers with Tim's Chips and a Pickle. All meals are $6 or $7 and include sides and a beverage. view schedule

Aug 29 : Friday Nights at the Market
Music 6-8:30 pm: Blues Union (Jazz/Blues). Dinner served 5:30-8 pm: Grilled Mahi Mahi with Tropical Fruit Salsa, Coconut Rice and Sugar Snap Peas. All meals are $6 or $7 and include sides and a beverage. view schedule

Aug 30 : Labor Day Weekend BBQ
Serving Central Market brats with grilled onions, hot off the grill, 11 am-4 pm.


All events subject to change without notice